After their first session, Sara realized that Ramona didn’t know if she could get better. She wanted her old life back—leading trail rides into the mountains, going out on dates with men who thought she was pretty, having enough energy to keep her going all day and into the night. In some ways, Ramona reminded Sara of Jase when he’d first come home. She just hoped she could help her turn her attitude around, too.
How to do it was the dilemma.
“How many weeks until I’m not so tired?” Ramona asked.
Intuitively, Sara knew Ramona’s fatigue came from her mindset as well as her physical condition. “Are you walking at home?”
“Some. But I hate using a cane.”
“As soon as you feel you have your balance steady without it, you can carry it instead of use it. Soon you’ll be leaving it behind.”
Ramona gave her a look that said she didn’t believe that would happen anytime soon.
After work, Sara picked up Jordan and Amy and headed back to the winery. Jordan babbled to Amy in the backseat of the car. Marissa’s one-year-old had a sunny disposition and a smile that could charm the clouds from the sky.
A short time later, holding Amy’s hand and carrying Jordan, Sara walked into the winery’s office, looking forward to dinner with Amy, a game or two and then an early bedtime for both of them.
Marissa must have seen her fatigue because she asked, “Are you as beat as you look?”
Sara laughed. “I probably look worse than I feel. I had a tough client this afternoon and I’m not sure what’s the best thing to do for her.”
“Why don’t you take a walk? I’ll take Jordan and Amy out to the back garden. They can watch the butterflies. The fountain’s going and Jordan loves to splash in the water. Do you mind if Amy gets wet?”
“Not at all. But you’ve had a long day, too.”
“Yeah, but mine was mostly about pushing papers.”
One thing Sara had learned through all of this was to accept help graciously. So without further argument, she simply said, “Thanks,” and after a kiss and hug for her daughter, headed out the way she’d come in.
She had glimpsed the garden in the back of the office building. There were also gardens surrounding the winery where patrons could sit and enjoy small pastries and salted snacks with the varieties of wine. But she headed in the other direction toward the vineyard, passing a rose garden that was lush with scent and color. She dawdled there for a few minutes, running her finger over the beautifully smooth petals, sniffing the raspberry-scented red roses. In a way, the vineyard and gardens seemed to come from a fairy tale. They were all well cared for and beautiful. She could see why this place had helped Jase heal.
She was strolling through the Merlot vineyard before she knew it. Suddenly Sara saw movement ahead, near one of the trellises. It was Jase, but he wasn’t training and tying vines today. He had a camera in his hand. Cautiously, she took a few steps closer. She didn’t know whether she should alert him to her presence or not. He said he hadn’t used a camera since he’d been home. She didn’t want to spoil the moment.
However, as she studied him, she realized he seemed to be shooting panoramic shots, rounding in a circle to capture every aspect of the vineyard. When he trained the camera in her direction, he, of course, saw her.
As he approached her, she automatically said, “If you want to be alone, I can head on back.”
“No need for that.” His gaze took in her blue scrubs and her brightly colored blouse. Her work uniform, such as it was.
“Are you just home from work?” he asked her.
“I picked up Jordan and Amy, and Marissa’s showing them the back garden. She thought I looked like I needed to clear my head.”
“Rough day?”
Sometimes she couldn’t tell if Jase was just making conversation or if he really wanted to know. He had an easy way of listening that sometimes confused her. She didn’t know if he was personally interested in her or practicing his skill as a good photojournalist and reporter.
“The afternoon was. Actually, my patient brought back memories of you when you were recovering. She’s having a tough time changing her life.”
“Ah, change, the constant in our lives,” he said with a wry smile.
Venturing a little closer to him, she motioned to his camera. “What are you up to?”
“Photographs for the new brochure for the vineyard. My father hasn’t revitalized it in a few years, so I suggested we do that. We’ve made some changes in the tasting room, and in the party reception hall. The Wine Club is growing and we need new material.”
It seemed as if he was enjoying what he was doing. But she asked the obvious question. “How does it feel to have a camera in your hands again?”